Guan Yin / Kuan Yin followers

Internal-external, yang becomes yin, yin becomes yang, and so on. It is not fortune telling but learning to align with the master/deity/priestess or whoever has written the book.

[sky]

Originally Posted by Che Lazou

Internal-external, yang becomes yin, yin becomes yang, and so on. It is not fortune telling but learning to align with the master/deity/priestess or whoever has written the book.

Superstitious sillyness. Best to align your essence with Guanyins rather than Authors, but each to their own.

Of course there is a correct order, I'm guessing the oracle can be consulted using sticks, but I haven't got the patience for that x

[winter light]

Originally Posted by meetjazz

I wonder, gives here any Guan Yin devotees? { Guan Yin is an East Asian goddess/bodhisattva associated with compassion, "Goddess of Mercy" in English.} I'm looking for some English speaking community about her, but hard to find in the West.

I agree the important thing to connect with Kuan Yin is sincerity from the heart. I've not talked yet about my relationship with her as I was never sure how to bring it up. But here we are. Hopefully my story will help others to find their relationship with her or with another suitable teacher. I've had several spiritual connections but connection with her has been the most consistent and enduring.

Even though I have had people in my life all along I always felt completely alone like I did not belong here and wished I was not here. Relationships always felt awkward like I was hyper aware as just an observer and not a participant. Dispite that I took everything personally and blamed myself for any unhappiness in others and myself. Real or imagined. So most of the problem is that I had become used to being very intolerant of myself. She on the other hand was completely accepting as a stong and consistent connection to unconditional love.

The scenes described onward are from my inner eye. I have never seen an angel or master being materialized in the physical. I wish though... I'd like that more than anything. I always had strong intuition but during my childhood I was disconnected spiritually and had no awareness of conscious communications with higher beings. So I felt very alone spiritually though I know now they are always with us.

When I was in my 20s after moving out from my parents I lived alone and I was incredibly lonely. I was in therapy beginning my recovery from life-long severe depression. Moving out was a huge step for me. I thought about getting a cat because I had one while growing up that I loved and it seemed like another step to create a life for myself. But that seemed overwhelming so as a transition I decided to just start with a stuffed animal cat to get things going. I found a tan-colored lioness and named it Tara because that felt right. I found a spot on my car dashboard where it sat and watched over me as I drove to work. It helped me to feel less alone. Many years later I found out that Tara was the Tibetan name for Kuan Yin. So some unconscious part of me must have been guiding me as I reached for a connection.

In my early 30s I was doing the whole new age spirtual path. Reading everything I could get my hands on. I started trying some channelling mostly my higher self. Something shifted and the whole shebang opened up and I had all kinds of awakenings. There was a lot of fear still and it took a long time for me to calm down and trust what I sensed.

Not sure when I first became aware of my connection with Kuan Yin. It developed very slowly over the years. I would feel Kuan Yin's presence usually when I was receiving a healing session like Reiki. She was there when I got my 3rd degree Reiki training. A few years ago when I saw John of God I felt her presence very strongly. I only remember a little of what we talked about. She said she was my sister-mother and I felt like she was guiding me to help me to learn compassion for myself. As a foundation that would extend to others over time.

Recently a couple of months ago the connection was very strong. I kind of took it for granted and thought it was becoming a permanent feeling. I wondered if this was what it feels like to become a devotee. Since then the feeling has faded I can still feel the connection whenever I put my mind to it. So it is now maintained as a faith that the connection can never really be lost. The last thing she said to me was "I am with you always". Of course, makes perfect sense.

She shared two sayings with me that helped to understand her mission. The first is something like "Let's get to it". Meaning that she carries the intent to have a very active presence to maintain the connection of unconditional love in the world . The other saying was "As you are". Meaning that there is nothing you need to do and grace and compassion will greet you whereever you are. The nature of the divine is to respect our individual cirumstances and attachments as a starting point. The time is now and we start with what is. All are worthy of God's love. For some like myself it takes a long time to realize this and to find the ability to choose and accept it.

Although I was raised Christian I found connecting to Jesus intimidating. Kuan Yin helped me to build up a connection from a void. Now I feel like I've shifted into some kind of spiritual adolesence and more ready to work with Jesus. Everything I learned from her translates just fine into Christianity and I can relate to more people in that way. Another whom I appreciate is Saint Anthony. I have found a lot in common with his function to help with protection from loss and with Kuan Yin's role in helping us to reconnect our lost self with God. And now will be working with Jesus to help with connections with others. When in doubt it seems best to pray directly to God while at the same time being open to receiving love and guidance from the divine beings who can help.

[meetjazz]

Before I have come across Guan Yin I had think that people who are into gods, goddess, deities,..somehow dislike freedom and that it means you have to beg certain deity for something, make sacrifices,..whatever. But nothing can be further away from the truth, at least I can say that for Guan Yin. It is this feeling as winter light had said it, of unconditional love, motherly love, safety,..this presence,..which arise in your heart,..can't describe it with words,it's priceless, it gives you wings, you are just so freaking thankful,.. I could go on and on.

Like what they say often after ayahuasca,..trips, you feel love, acceptance, peace,..And I assume it's similar by other deities. But I do think that it plays a key role that we come across or choose the right deity for us. Whether it be Jesus, Mary, Isis, Kali, Lakshmi‎, Kuan Yin,..to whoever we really feel drawn towards. Even though it seems that in the west are any kind of connection to spirits, gods,.. skipped, somehow detour around them and trying to reach ''enlightenment'' or peace with oneself and happiness,..completely alone. To find this all alone is the most difficult way in every tradition, religion and philosophy (west and east). With deities,..is far easier, but probably the key to even connect to any deity in some meaningful way is through our own hearts.

[moonincancer]

Although I am not a Buddhist I feel a keen connection with Quan Yin. I felt it first when I was attuned to Reiki 2 and Magnified healing. I felt her presence strongly. I bought a statue of her and kept it in my room. Now whenever I am practicing healing I feel her near me. I like looking at pictures and statues of Tara as well in monasteries. Maybe its a past life connect. Maybe she just responds to the call from the heart. One of her messages is that she watches over souls when they pass on. I feel a strange sense of reassurance that she will come then when the confused soul calls on her.

[jonesboy]

Yes,

She is a very powerful being.

[Ashanna]

Kuan Yin became my "accidental" goddess; I first read about her when I was getting into Wicca in my teen years. I really loved the idea of choosing my own deities, and Kuan Yin kept calling to me, but I was young and afraid of "appropriating" her from a culture that still worships her. Lucky for me, she doesn't give up easily, and finally I got the message and let her in my heart--to discover she had been there all along. :)

I have been studying Chan Buddhism for over a year now, and "The Universal Gateway of Guanyin Bodhisattva" is my favorite sutra; "if hundreds, thousands, millions, or a countless number of sentient beings who suffer a myriad of afflictions heard of Guanyin Bodhisattva and single-mindedly recited his name, the Bodhisattva would immediately perceive their calls and deliver them from their suffering." I have completely fallen in love with her compassion and grace.

(Sorry if this is a necrobump!)

[pseudonymus]

Originally Posted by meetjazz

I wonder, gives here any Guan Yin devotees? { Guan Yin is an East Asian goddess/bodhisattva associated with compassion, "Goddess of Mercy" in English.} I'm looking for some English speaking community about her, but hard to find in the West.

I'm Thai-Chinese. I was raised in our both Thai and Chinese culture, and I only speak English! She doesn't have her own "church" or "sangha" so, it is hard to find a community based solely on her worship. In our culture we call her Preah Neiang Goung Si-Im. Preah means "Numinous" and "Venerable." Neiang means "Lady" or "Maiden." And "Goung Si-Im," is her name.

Goung Si-Im is a Bodhisattva of Chan Buddhism. Chan Buddhism, by the way is Chinese Buddhism that is mixed with Taoism. It is the ancestor of Zen Buddhism. "Zen" being the Japanese form of "Chan."

And so, if you want to find a community of her Devotees, all you really have to do is go to a Chinese Buddhist temple, and you will see huge statues of her right next to the statue of the Buddha. So, everybody at the temple reverse her along side the Buddha.

Private devotion to her is as easy as how anybody can become a Buddhist: you simply obtain a statue of Goung Si-Im, set it on your Buddhist home altar, and that's it.

Burn a stick of incense for her every day, offer her a cup of water and fruits frequently, and pray to her, in whatever language. I pray to her in English, since English is the only language I speak.

In front of her statue, you can place a small bowl of water. When you pray to her, hold a small flower of some kind between your clasped palms and pray. After you pray, just place the flower into that small bowl of water as an offering and sign of your devotion.

In my Thai culture, the elders say that Goung Si-Im favores women, and she's often aloof or distant with men. You can go to Chinatown and buy a jade pendent of her and wear it, if you are a girl. The old people say that if you are a boy/man, and you wear her pendant, it's bad luck. I don't know why that is.

She'll often enter your dreams to communicate with you and usually forewarns you of danger. If you pray to her often, and do burn incense often and offer her water and food, she does grant your wishes. She grants more wishes for girls than boys.

My sister is visiting Mexico right now: this morning she sent me a message telling me her Goung Si-Im beaded necklace broke, and she was worried.

[NoOne]

I just discovered this thread and I quite like winter_light and meetjazz's stories.

I must say I've had very similar experiences with various aspects of the Goddess and still do. It would seem that Inanna / Ishtar, Venus / Aphrodite, Tara / Kwan Yin and Durga / Mahakali are essentially the same Goddess, even according to mainstream scholars who study this.

Inanna was the first form of the Goddess I ever encountered, so she will always remain my favourite but I'm really very fond of the Tara / Kwan Yin incarnation as well. The beauty, compassion and infinite, unconditional love is just beyond description. Also, when a Goddess touches you, it is really the most incredible, mesmerising feeling in the world.